Bearing for piano-strings.



H. MGCLELLAN.

Patentedluly 1902 BEARING FOR PIANO STBINGS.

(Application filed Nov. 6. 1899.)

(NoModL) z 'U- b M N y N 4 N 4 k N N wg N a@ N M, a 7 *kg w bes'ea UNITED STATES HERMAN MCCLELLAN,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF GINCINNATI, OHIO.

BEARIVNG FOR pAnosrmwes.

SPECIFIATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. '703,708, dated July 1, 1902.

Application filed November 6,1899. Serial No. '735,885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concrn:

Beit known that I, HERMAN MCCLELLAN, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Bearings for Piano-Strings, of which the following is a specification.

The strings of the piano are strained upon a common frame. One end of each stringis connected to a hitch-pin and the other end to what is known as a tuning-pin? This tuning-pin can be turned, and being turned in one direction winds up the string and tightens and strains it. Being turned in the opposite direction, it lessens the strain upon the string. In this manner the desired and requisite musical pitch is imparted to the string. On that part of the frame where the tuning or wrest pin is located and toward the mid-length of the string is a hearing on which the string rests. This bearing we will denominate the wrest-block or plate bearing. Between these two bearings and nearer the tuning-pin bearingis another hearing, which may be termed the capo-tasto bearing and which depresses or pushes the string in a direction opposite to that in which it is pushed by the wrest-plate hearing aforenamed. This capo-taste bearing is nearer to the tuning-pin bearing than it is to the hitchpin. That part of the string which is between the capo-tasto bearingand the hitchpin is the part which Vibrates and gives the musical sound or note. Near this capo-tasto hearing, but between it and the hitch-pin, is the hammer which strikes the string and causes the Vibration of the latter.

The advance in the construction of pianos has been marked by the introduction of metal frames forsupportin g the wires, and the latter are strained upon these in the manner aforesaid. In'process of time in successive pianos the wires have been more and more drawn or strained. There are usually three wires or strings to a given note, and as a consequence the present modern piano-frames are subjected to a strain amounting to tons. The capotasto hearing aforesaid, Originally made of Wood, has been made of iron integral with the large iron frame or plate and cast with it in order to prevent, first, the pull of the wires, and, secondly, their vibration from cutting into it and grooving it. If cut into, the wires would sink into the grooves so cut and their tension would be changed and their pitch as a musical note Would be altered. The sides of the grooves and the bearing on the bottom of the grooves, much longer than the original edge of the hearing, would also clog and alter to an extent the vibration of the strings; but the enployment of an iron hearing at this point is accompanied with a marked disadvantage. The Vihration of the strings at and against the iron hearing imparts a metallic twang to the note produced by the string or strings, and thus injures the purity of the musical note. That is true in this regard of one note is true of all.

The object of my invention is to obviate this netallic twang and rest-ore each note to its perfect purity and to preserve its original clearness of tone. by means of the advantageous Construction which I will now describe.

In the accompanying drawings, making a part of this application and in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure l represents, 011 a scale diminished from the ordinary size, a section taken parallel to theiwires and of my improved hearing and shows in elevation a musical stringin position and the hitch-pin and tuning-pin to which it is'connected and the wrest-plate hearing, also a hammer and its immediate connections. Fig. 2 represents a View, somewhat enlarged over the preceding figure, of the under side of my improved iron hearing, a portion ot' the lower portion of the hearing being broken away to further illustratc the construction of the hearing. This View shows threestrings crossing the bearing, the end portions of the strings' being omitted as unnecessary to the Understanding of this figure and to insnrecoinpactness.

ln the drawings, A indicates the iron main frame or plate.

B indicates one of the strings. Usually three unison-strings are grouped together to form the means for making a given not-e. A single string would produce the note, but the addition of two more strings confers additional Volume and richness of tone. The string is connected at one end to the hitch This object 1 accomplish i IOO pin B and at the other end to the tuning-pin 13 The string passes from the tuning-pin B onto the wrest-plate bear-ing 13 and then passes down and against the bottom of the capo-taste bearing C, and thence extends to the sounding-board bridge 13 and hitch-pin.

B indicates part of the sounding-board.

Below and to the right of the capo-taste hearing in Fig. l is seen one of the hammers in impingement with a string B. The hammer is made in any suitable manner. The one shown is composed of the head H surmounted by the usual felt or soft portion H. It is this felt portion I-I which comes into contact with the strings. This head H is connected to a shank H The capo-taste bearing-bar C and its component parts are the subject of my present invention. One of the Component parts of this hearing O is the foundation-piece D. This foundation piece will ordinarily be made of a suitable metal. Of the metals I prefer iron as the material for this foundation-piece. The latter is duly supported at or near each end bya suitable brace. One of such braces K is shown in Fg. 1. The lower portion of the foundation-piece D is recessed, forming a recess D Another component portion of this bearing is the wooden portion E, received into the recess D and secured therein. This portion E has in its lower and central portion a recess E Into the latter extends the tongue or rib F of an aluminium bearing F. This latter hearing has shoulders F which rest upon the lower portions of the Wooden hearing E. The under side of the aluminium hearing grad ually nar- 'roWs down and comes at bottom to a narrow ridge F On this ridge the wires or strings rest, substantally as shown. The aluminium bearing is a strong tough metal, which well resists any tendency of the wires pressing against it and under severe strain from cutting into it or in any wise grooving it. The vibration of the aluminium, so far as it is perceptible, is pure and soft and does not impart a metallic ring or ringing sound to the wires impinging it, such as is usual in the iron hearing. This aluminium hearing, being mounted on a wooden support intervened between it and the iron supporting portion above, cannot transmit the vibration of the v string or strings to the iron bar D and frame K above. Thus there is practically no vibration of the iron frame or plate and the vibration of the strings is free from netallic ringing sounds.

By my invention the full singing quality of the tone is retained and Secured.

The advantages of my invention are obvious from the foregoing description.

Before reciting the claims I desire it to be noted that the shoulders F should always be out of contact with the metal piece D, that the formative means whereby the constituent parts of the hearing are united may be varied without departing from the main features of my invention.

My in vention is shown in connection With a grand piano; but it is applicable to anypiano.

What I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. For a piano, a wire hearing having a stiff foundation, provided with recess D a bearing of material that does not yield or become grooved by the wires, and in so far as it vibrates, gives out a pure, soft tone, differentiated from the metallic ring of iron or steel, and which hearing has a ridge I and a rib or extension F shoulders F piece E adapted to resist the transmission of sound, and having recess E into which the rib F is received, and the said piece E being received into the recess D of the foundation, substautially as and for the purposes specified.

2. For a piano, a wire bearing having an iron foundation provided with a recess D a wooden bar E received thei-ein and having a recess E and an aluminium hearing, having a narrow bottom ridge E and a rib F received into the recess E, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

HERMAN MCCLELLAN.

XVitnesses:

VVM. H. PUGH, K. SMITH. 

